TRAC Fellows Program
Every year, TRAC receives numerous requests for data access for scholarly research from
researchers at colleges and universities. Since an important part of TRAC's mission is to
make information available to the public, we would like to honor those requests — consistent
with the limitations of our resources — to the extent they support our public service mission
and do not conflict with other ongoing projects.
To facilitate data access for scholarly research, TRAC has set up the TRAC Fellows
program. Fellows can be appointed as Fellows In-Residence or as Outside Fellows. How to
apply to become a TRAC Fellow and the terms of appointments are briefly described below:
- Appointments as TRAC Fellows are limited to researchers of subscribing organizations
who are bound by the License Agreement governing data use. If collaborating researchers
are from different organizations, each organization must be a subscriber. If during the
term of appointment the organization does not renew their annual subscription, the
appointment automatically terminates.
- To apply for data access for scholarly research, submit a brief research plan including the
proposed analysis, a description of the data needed, the project proposed beginning and
end dates, and a list of collaborators and co-authors with their affiliations. If some period
in-residence is desired, specify the proposed period and any additional research support
needed.
- TRAC reviews proposals on an on-going basis, and will notify the submitter whether
their proposal is accepted, and what if any additional costs would be involved if
specialized data sets or other support services are requested.
- Special data access will be provided with the following understanding:
- Use will be limited to only that described in the research plan;
- Data access will not be shared with anyone not listed as a collaborator or co-author in
the application;
- Use of data will terminate automatically if the organization(s) cease to be TRAC
subscriber(s).
- TRAC Fellows receiving special data access agree to provide (i) a 1-2 page synopsis of
their research project, and (ii) upon completion, a synopsis including findings, both of which can be
published on TRAC's web site. At their discretion, TRAC Fellows may also provide a
link to a working paper on another web site, and citation to a publication.
For more information, use our Inquiry Form or email us at: